Congress on Sunday, 14 June sharply criticised both the United States government's response and what it described as India's 'feeble' diplomatic reaction to a US Navy strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that killed three Indian seafarers. Opposition leaders also took aim at External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, accusing him of failing to present India's position firmly enough during his conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

What Congress Said

Congress MP Manish Tewari called the incident 'extremely unfortunate,' saying it 'reflects deep insensitivity towards India's concerns.' He noted the absence of any regret or empathy from Washington, pointing instead to what he described as a blunt American message — that anyone violating US embargoes in the Strait of Hormuz would face consequences, implicitly framing the struck tanker as a violator of those embargoes.

'Given the fact that India had expressed strong concerns about how the three Indian nationals died in the airstrikes, there is no reflection of having that registered with the US government,' Tewari added. He asserted that Jaishankar should have 'stood up to this display of coarse behaviour by the US government.'

Congress leader Pawan Khera went further, saying: 'Yesterday, S. Jaishankar used very mild words and did not firmly present our position. We lost the lives of three of our citizens; in a way, the United States has killed three Indians.' Khera also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not issued a condolence message, and that 'not even a strong word of condemnation came from Mr. Jaishankar, nor was there any pressure on the US to apologise.'

The Geneva Convention Argument

Khera invoked the Geneva Convention of 1949, arguing that under its provisions, no commercial vessel can be attacked in the manner described. The argument adds a legal dimension to the political criticism, framing the US strike not merely as a diplomatic failure but as a potential violation of international humanitarian law.

What EAM Jaishankar Said

In a post on social media platform X, Jaishankar wrote: 'Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening. I reiterated India's strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners. Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.'

Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had summoned the US Charge d'Affaires (CDA), Jason Meeks, signalling New Delhi's formal displeasure. The summoning of a senior US diplomat is among the strongest routine tools of diplomatic protest available to the MEA.

Background and What Comes Next

The strike on the oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman is part of a broader pattern of heightened US military activity targeting vessels allegedly violating sanctions in the region. The deaths of three Indian nationals have placed New Delhi in a diplomatically delicate position — balancing its strategic partnership with Washington against domestic pressure to defend its citizens. All eyes are now on whether India escalates its diplomatic response beyond the summoning of the CDA, and whether the US offers any formal acknowledgement of the Indian casualties.